No last hurrah for Kevin Pietersen, not this year at any rate, whether for Delhi Daredevils, St Lucia Zouks or Surrey. It is not to be for KP.

Pietersen came in to bat, in the first T20 semi-final, after Jason Roy had played just like Pietersen in his pomp. When the world was young and Pietersen - no matter his style of hair-cut - could defeat any opponent, even Shane Warne or Brett Lee, he would attack the bowler and the ball like Roy.

Pietersen in times past, and Roy now at the age of 24, would take a stride towards the bowler as he delivered - dismissing the possibility of a bouncer that would bother the batsman. From this power-position, Pietersen/Roy would club the ball anywhere from cover to deep square-leg.

But Pietersen had not made a score of 60 in any form of competitive cricket this year. Since he parted from England, he has parted from form as well, and an endless diet of 20-over cricket - wherever the tournament is staged - is no more sustaining than a diet of crisps and chocolate.

Chasing Warwickshire's 195, Surrey had been powered to 89 in only their eighth over when Roy was out and replaced by Pietersen. On a belter of a pitch, with Edgbaston's boundaries brought in and a fast outfield, it should have been a bit of a doddle - and it would have been when Pietersen was England's leading batsman in every format.

But, a little troubled by Boyd Rankin's pace, Pietersen scratched his way to three. Then applause broke out around the ground. It was Andrew Flintoff in Lancashire kit, walking back from the nets, and drinking one last draught from his well of popularity among cricket followers.

As if to compete, or to divert attention from Flintoff, Pietersen went for his first big shot - driving the offspinner Jeetan Patel to long-on. The fielder was William Porterfield, who had earlier played an even more valuable innings than Roy's as he went on to 81 from 47 balls, and he let the chance spill through his hands and over the ropes for six.

But Pietersen could not make the most of his luck. When Patel was succeeded by another offspinner, the local lad Ateeq Javid, Pietersen laced a drive straight back at the bowler, who seized his chance with both hands.

The trouble with the devastating start such as Roy provided is that, if he does not go on to a match-winning score, the opposition are relieved and revived the moment he gets out. When Pietersen followed Roy so soon afterwards, at 108 for two in Surrey's 12th over, Warwickshire sensed they had broken the back.

"Unfortunately I gave it away there but that's the way it goes," Roy admitted after top-edging a sweep against Patel. His magnificent shot-making gave him 677 runs off 431 balls in this season's NatWest T20 Blast, with 27 sixes, and a place in England's squad for the sole T20 International against India should be a formality. But Roy will know that if he had throttled down - Surrey were 78 without loss after the Powerplay - and worked the ball around, his team would have won.

Warwickshire, buoyed by home advantage and an increasingly supportive crowd, were sharper not only in their fielding but in their bowling tactics. After Rikki Clarke had paid for persisting with line and length against Roy, Warwickshire's seamers tried the yorkers which Surrey had neglected - if not the bouncers - and strangled Surrey. Such was the void left by Roy and Pietersen, Surrey scored only 13 from four overs in mid-innings, falling too far behind to recover.

Ian Bell, with 38 off 17 balls, scored almost as quickly as Roy with strokeplay that featured far more left elbow and orthodoxy. Bell tried to hit too hard initially, so it was like Schubert doing Rap, but settled down to caress his sixes and fours. Then Porterfield batted through the rest of the innings, without giving his wicket away, and 19 runs off the final over by Jade Dernbach - 14 of them to Ireland's captain - made all the difference.